Wow, Kevin, your home is beautiful!!! Wondering if your house Is a trinity? Whatever, it's gorgeous. I met you in the bathroom forum. BTW, I live in central Jersey. I've called around to lots of stores and no one seems to have the.models of tubs I'm interested in. I did see the Edenton today however, so no need to post a close-up. But thank you anyone for the thought.. It is a nice tub. I was surprised how slippery the Edenton bottom is even with the texture (and I was looking for no texture at all!). I'm concerned since I need a tub/shower combo - but I really want a comfortable tub as part of that combo. Now I'm wondering if a bath mat will stick to the textured surface of the Edenton when I shower or will the texture prevent it from adhering to the bottom of the tub? Any insights, anyone?. You mentioned somewhere that if you had to do over, you'd choose the Hydrosystems Lacey. Can't seem to find one of those on display. Is the bottom of the Lacey textured like the Edenton or is it a smooth bottom? Where in Philly did you see the Lacey and other tubs you were considering? Thanks so much! Guess I should post 2nd part of this in Bathroom forum- maybe tomorrow.

I love your current kitchen so much I just want to come to your house and chain myself to your cabinets so when the demolition crew shows up, I can scream "NO!!!!!!". If you like the cabinets and if they are still in great condition, why change them all? Of course, it's your decision and I won't hunt you down if you decide to make a total change. But be aware there is a market for used vintage cabinets in good condition so, if you do decide on a to-the-studs remodel, please have those cabinets carefully removed and either donate them to something like a Habitat for Humanity store or sell them. The RetroRenovation.com website is one place to visit and post about them where you might find exuberant buyers. And, of course, Craig's List. So I came up with a plan with minimal changes, allowing you to keep most of your cabinets. Notes on the plan. It should get bigger if you click the photo so you can read it better. Basically, the only thing that changes is the stove wall. You could easily have a good cabinet maker make the additional cabinets you need to match the current cabinets. You may, however, need to paint all the cabinets to get a good paint match if just painting the new cabinets doesn't result in a good match. I didn't figure out how far down you can shift the stove but it looks like you could get a good 12-20" of extra prep space there. That increase should give you a nice prep corner with enough space to spread out. I would keep the charming countertops you have for all but the stove wall and splurge on counters that are cooking/hot pot friendly on that wall. Stainless would be great there and will really compliment what you currently have so it doesn't look odd or like a thoughtless add-on. Soapstone would also look great. Since you're done doing a lot of counter, these higher-priced tops would still be a minimal expense. The yellow is for a cart idea, similar to what MamaG came up with, but not inside the bottom of a wall cabinet. It is simply there so it can be moved to block access for visitors. A flip-up counter can be installed that hangs down the side so there is a place there for chairs and for someone to sit and visit with you while you cook and have a place for their coffee, appetizer, dessert, etc. It can also be used to help with food service at the table for items that might not fit on the table with people eating there. You say you like the peninsula because it does provide that barrier and place to sit but, really, it is the only real obstacle you have to an efficient kitchen that feels spacious. Removing it and just moving the stove down as far as possible to the end of that wall, even to the edge of the wall, should give you good prep space and make your kitchen far more enjoyable to work in. Anyway, just a thought, if you want to preserve what you have and just improve it. Of course, a good, well-designed and executed to-the-studs remodel would also be super-awesome. I just wanted to give you an alternative to consider.

You guys are awesome! I tried to incorporate everyone suggestions (because they were all great!) and this is what I've come up with. Since I'm not sure which of the kitchen walls are load bearing, both designs incorporate the possible need for a beam to extend down, which is fine. LAYOUT A: large pass-through looking into the living room and the doorway to the kitchen has been expanded. Basement stairs and corner coat closet have also been removed and the doorway into the addition has been widened. Hoping the outer facing cabinets around the beam can act as a place to put keys and bags, otherwise, we have no entryway. Concern: I'm a messy cook and with that being said, I'm questioning whether the stove should be below the pass-through because I'm envisioning grease splattering and sauce flying into my living room. LAYOUT B: The same as layout A but with a smaller pass-through that begins after the stove. My concern for this is despite the pass-through being just shy of 5ft wide, based on this mock-up, it doesn't look like it does much to open the room. Would this be a waste of money to even bother with? Here's a loose floorplan of both A and B. What are your thoughts? The fridge jams me up a bit because it seemed too bulky near the kitchen entrance and moving it towards the addition opening made it too crammed again.

Not what you want to hear, but do kitchen first....it might involve removing walls that you just installed, and you might go over budget on hall and not be able to do kitchen...the kitchen will define you design aesthetic for the whole house and you can then have things radiate out from your gorgeous kitchen......it is hard to wait when you want it all done, but kitchens are expensive, so do it first. If you really want to do something in the foyer, remove the wall paper and paint it a color you hope to incorporate into your new design scheme.....it will give you a goal and a met goal in your house....which make everyone feel better....